Method and system for sharing a Bluetooth processor for FM functions

ABSTRACT

A method and system sharing a Bluetooth processor for FM functions are provided. The single chip may comprise an integrated Bluetooth radio, an integrated FM radio, and processor system. A processor in the processor system may be utilized for Bluetooth and FM data processing and may time multiplex between the Bluetooth and FM data processing based on interrupt signals. The processor may operate in a low power mode based on a clock signal generated from a low power oscillator. When a Bluetooth interrupt signal is received, the processor may enable Bluetooth data processing that may be based on a Bluetooth clock signal. When an FM interrupt signal is received, the processor may enable FM data processing that may be based on an FM clock signal. When data processing is complete, the processor may return to the low power mode operation.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS/INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The application makes reference to, claims priority to, and claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/685,239 filed on May26, 2005.

This application also makes reference to:

U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 16663US02) filedon even date herewith;

U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 17106US02) filedon even date herewith;

U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 17107US02) filedon even date herewith;

U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 17108US02) filedon even date herewith;

U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 17109US02) filedon even date herewith;

U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 17110US02) filedon even date herewith;

U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 17113US02) filedon even date herewith;

U.S. application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 17116US02) filedon even date herewith; and

United States Utility application Ser. No. 11/176,417 filed on Jul. 7,2005.

Each of the above stated applications is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention relate to Bluetooth and FMcommunication technologies. More specifically, certain embodiments ofthe invention relate to a method and system for sharing a Bluetoothprocessor for FM functions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With the popularity of portable electronic devices and wireless devicesthat support audio applications, there is a growing need to provide asimple and complete solution for audio communications applications. Forexample, some users may utilize Bluetooth-enabled devices, such asheadphones and/or speakers, to allow them to communicate audio data withtheir wireless handset while freeing to perform other activities. Otherusers may have portable electronic devices that may enable them to playstored audio content and/or receive audio content via broadcastcommunication, for example.

However, integrating multiple audio communication technologies into asingle device may be costly. Combining a plurality of differentcommunication services into a portable electronic device or a wirelessdevice may require separate processing hardware and/or separateprocessing software. Moreover, coordinating the reception and/ortransmission of data to and/or from the portable electronic device or awireless device may require significant processing overhead that mayimpose certain operation restrictions and/or design challenges. Forexample, a handheld device such as a cellphone that incorporatesBluetooth and Wireless LAN may pose certain coexistence problems causedby the close proximity of the Bluetooth and WLAN transceivers.

Furthermore, simultaneous use of a plurality of radios in a handheld mayresult in significant increases in power consumption. Power being aprecious commodity in most wireless mobile devices, combining devicessuch as a cellular radio, a Bluetooth radio and a WLAN radio requirescareful design and implementation in order to minimize battery usage.Additional overhead such as sophisticated power monitoring and powermanagement techniques are required in order to maximize battery life.

For example, a first type of radio and second type of radio may becombined into a portable electronic or wireless device. In this regard,data processing operations may be performed in separate processors fordata for the first type of radio and data for the second type of radio.Processing of algorithms that handle data processing for the first typeof radio may be performed with the aid of co-processors, for example.However, separate processing resources for each radio operation mayresult in increased hardware complexity and cost. This is turn mayresult in added power consumption that may reduce the time that thedevice may be in use between recharges. Moreover, separate processingmay make more difficult the coordination and/or cooperation betweencommunication protocols.

Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditionalapproaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, throughcomparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention asset forth in the remainder of the present application with reference tothe drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system and/or method is provided for sharing a Bluetooth processor forFM functions, substantially as shown in and/or described in connectionwith at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in theclaims.

These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the presentinvention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, willbe more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an exemplary FM transmitter thatcommunicates with handlheld devices that utilize a single chip withintegrated Bluetooth and FM radios, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an exemplary FM receiver that communicateswith handlheld devices that utilize a single chip with integratedBluetooth and FM radios, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 1C is a block diagram of an exemplary single chip with integratedBluetooth and FM radios that supports FM processing and an externaldevice that supports Bluetooth processing, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1D is a block diagram of an exemplary single chip with integratedBluetooth and FM radios and an external device that supports Bluetoothand FM processing, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1E is a block diagram of an exemplary single chip with multipleintegrated radios that supports radio data processing, in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1F is a block diagram of an exemplary single chip with integratedBluetooth and FM radios that supports multiple interfaces, in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1G is a block diagram of an exemplary single chip with integratedBluetooth and FM radios that supports interfacing with a handsetbaseband device and a coexistent wireless LAN (WLAN) radio, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram of an exemplary single chip that supportsBluetooth and FM operations with an external FM transmitter, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram of an exemplary single chip that supportsBluetooth and FM operations with an integrated FM transmitter, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2C is a flow diagram that illustrates exemplary steps forprocessing received data in a single chip with integrated Bluetooth andFM radios, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2D is a flow diagram that illustrates exemplary steps forprocessing FM data via the Bluetooth core in a single chip withintegrated Bluetooth and FM radios, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 2E is a flow diagram that illustrates exemplary steps forconfiguring a single chip with integrated Bluetooth and FM radios basedon the mode of operation, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary FM core and PTU for processingRDS and digital audio data, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram that illustrates exemplary steps for sharing aprocessor for Bluetooth and FM functions, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram that illustrates the warm-up time of a Bluetoothcrystal oscillator when enabling sharing of a processor for Bluetoothand FM functions, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and systemfor sharing a Bluetooth processor for FM functions. Aspects of themethod and system may be found in a single chip comprising an integratedBluetooth radio, an integrated FM radio, and processor system. A processin the processor system may be utilized for Bluetooth and FM dataprocessing and may time multiplex between the Bluetooth and FM dataprocessing based on interrupt signals. The processor may operate in alow power mode based on a clock signal generated from, for example, alow power oscillator. When a Bluetooth interrupt signal is received or astatus is polled, the processor may enable Bluetooth data processingthat may be based on a Bluetooth clock signal. When an FM interruptsignal is received or a status is polled, the processor may enable FMdata processing that may be based on an FM clock signal. When dataprocessing is complete, the processor may return to the low power modeoperation.

The single chip Bluetooth and FM radio may provide a versatile platformthat supports both Bluetooth and FM audio capabilities. For example, auser may have the capability to select from multiple audio-basedservices without the need to purchase and travel with a plurality ofdifferent devices.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an exemplary FM transmitter thatcommunicates with handlheld devices that utilize a single chip withintegrated Bluetooth and FM radios, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention. Referring to FIG. 1A, there is shown an FM transmitter102, a cellular phone 104 a, a smart phone 104 b, a computer 104 c, andan exemplary FM and Bluetooth-equipped device 104 d. The FM transmitter102 may be implemented as part of a radio station or other broadcastingdevice, for example. Each of the cellular phone 104 a, the smart phone104 b, the computer 104 c, and the exemplary FM and Bluetooth-equippeddevice 104 d may comprise a single chip 106 with integrated Bluetoothand FM radios for supporting FM and Bluetooth data communications. TheFM transmitter 102 may enable communication of FM audio data to thedevices shown in FIG. 1A by utilizing the single chip 106. Each of thedevices in FIG. 1A may comprise and/or may be communicatively coupled toa listening device 108 such as a speaker, a headset, or an earphone, forexample.

The cellular phone 104 a may be enabled to receive an FM transmissionsignal from the FM transmitter 102. The user of the cellular phone 104 amay then listen to the transmission via the listening device 108. Thecellular phone 104 a may comprise a “one-touch” programming feature thatenables pulling up specifically desired broadcasts, like weather,sports, stock quotes, or news, for example. The smart phone 104 b may beenabled to receive an FM transmission signal from the FM transmitter102. The user of the smart phone 104 b may then listen to thetransmission via the listening device 108.

The computer 104 c may be a desktop, laptop, notebook, tablet, and aPDA, for example. The computer 104 c may be enabled to receive an FMtransmission signal from the FM transmitter 102. The user of thecomputer 104 c may then listen to the transmission via the listeningdevice 108. The computer 104 c may comprise software menus thatconfigure listening options and enable quick access to favorite options,for example. In one embodiment of the invention, the computer 104 c mayutilize an atomic clock FM signal for precise timing applications, suchas scientific applications, for example. While a cellular phone, a smartphone, computing devices, and other devices have been shown in FIG. 1A,the single chip 106 may be utilized in a plurality of other devicesand/or systems that receive and use Bluetooth and/or FM signals. In oneembodiment of the invention, the single chip Bluetooth and FM radio maybe utilized in a system comprising a WLAN radio. The U.S. applicationSer. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. 17116US02), filed on even dateherewith, discloses a method and system comprising a single chipBluetooth and FM radio integrated with a wireless LAN radio, and ishereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an exemplary FM receiver that communicateswith handheld devices that utilize a single chip with integratedBluetooth and FM radios, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. Referring to FIG. 1B, there is shown an FM receiver 110, thecellular phone 104 a, the smart phone 104 b, the computer 104 c, and theexemplary FM and Bluetooth-equipped device 104 d. In this regard, the FMreceiver 110 may comprise and/or may be communicatively coupled to alistening device 108. A device equipped with the Bluetooth and FMtransceivers, such as the single chip 106, may be able to broadcast itsrespective signal to a “deadband” of an FM receiver for use by theassociated audio system. For example, a cellphone or a smart phone, suchas the cellular phone 104 a and the smart phone 104 b, may transmit atelephone call for listening over the audio system of an automobile, viausage of a deadband area of the car's FM stereo system. One advantagemay be the universal ability to use this feature with all automobilesequipped simply with an FM radio with few, if any, other external FMtransmission devices or connections being required.

In another example, a computer, such as the computer 104 c, may comprisean MP3 player or another digital music format player and may broadcast asignal to the deadband of an FM receiver in a home stereo system. Themusic on the computer may then be listened to on a standard FM receiverwith few, if any, other external FM transmission devices or connections.While a cellular phone, a smart phone, and computing devices have beenshown, a single chip that combines a Bluetooth and FM transceiver and/orreceiver may be utilized in a plurality of other devices and/or systemsthat receive and use an FM signal.

FIG. 1C is a block diagram of an exemplary single chip with integratedBluetooth and FM radios that supports FM processing and an externaldevice that supports Bluetooth processing, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1C, there is shown asingle chip 112 a that supports Bluetooth and FM radio operations and anexternal device 114. The single chip 112 a may comprise an integratedBluetooth radio 116, an integrated FM radio 118, and an integratedprocessor 120. The Bluetooth radio 116 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, and/or code that enable Bluetooth signal communication viathe single chip 112 a. In this regard, the Bluetooth radio 116 maysupport audio signals or communication. The FM radio may comprisesuitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that enable FM signalcommunication via the single chip 112 a.

The integrated processor 120 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,and/or code that may enable processing of the FM data received by the FMradio 118. Moreover, the integrated processor 120 may enable processingof FM data to be transmitted by the FM radio 118 when the FM radio 118comprises transmission capabilities. The external device 114 maycomprise a baseband processor 122. The baseband processor 122 maycomprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may enableprocessing of Bluetooth data received by the Bluetooth radio 116.Moreover, the baseband processor 122 may enable processing of Bluetoothdata to be transmitted by the Bluetooth radio 116. In this regard, theBluetooth radio 116 may communicate with the baseband processor 122 viathe external device 114.

FIG. 1D is a block diagram of an exemplary single chip with integratedBluetooth and FM radios and an external device that supports Bluetoothand FM processing, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.Referring to FIG. 1D, there is shown a single chip 112 b that supportsBluetooth and FM radio operations and an external device 114. The singlechip 112 b may comprise the Bluetooth radio 116 and the FM radio 118.The Bluetooth radio 116 and/or the FM radio 118 may be integrated intothe single chip 112 b. The external device 114 may comprise a basebandprocessor 122. The baseband processor 122 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, and/or code that may enable processing of Bluetooth datareceived by the Bluetooth radio 116 and/or processing of Bluetooth datato be transmitted by the Bluetooth radio 116. In this regard, theBluetooth radio 116 may communicate with the baseband processor 122 viathe external device 114. Moreover, the baseband processor 122 maycomprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may enableprocessing of the FM data received by the FM radio 118. The basebandprocessor 122 may enable processing FM data to be transmitted by the FMradio 118 when the FM radio 118 comprises transmission capabilities. Inthis regard, the FM radio 118 may communicate with the basebandprocessor 122 via the external device 114.

FIG. 1E is a block diagram of an exemplary single chip with multipleintegrated radios that supports radio data processing, in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1E, there isshown a single chip 130 that may comprise a radio portion 132 and aprocessing portion 134. The radio portion 132 may comprise a pluralityof integrated radios. For example, the radio portion 132 may comprise acell radio 140 a that supports cellular communications, a Bluetoothradio 140 b that supports Bluetooth communications, an FM radio 140 cthat supports FM communications, a global positioning system (GPS) 140 dthat supports GPS communications, and/or a wireless local area network(WLAN) 140 e that supports communications based on the IEEE 802.11standards.

The processing portion 134 may comprise at least one processor 136, amemory 138, and a peripheral transport unit (PTU) 140. The processor 136may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that enableprocessing of data received from the radio portion 132. In this regard,each of the integrated radios may communicate with the processingportion 134. In some instances, the integrated radios may communicatewith the processing portion 134 via a common bus, for example. Thememory 138 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code thatenable storage of data that may be utilized by the processor 136. Inthis regard, the memory 138 may store at least a portion of the datareceived by at least one of the integrated radios in the radio portion132. Moreover, the memory 138 may store at least a portion of the datathat may be transmitted by at least one of the integrated radios in theradio portion 132. The PTU 140 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry,and/or code that may enable interfacing data in the single chip 130 withother devices that may be communicatively coupled to the single chip130. In this regard, the PTU 140 may support analog and/or digitalinterfaces.

FIG. 1F is a block diagram of an exemplary single chip with integratedBluetooth and FM radios that supports multiple interfaces, in accordancewith an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1F, there isshown a single chip 150 that supports Bluetooth and FM radiocommunications. The single chip 150 may comprise a processor and memoryblock 152, a PTU 154, an FM control and input-output (IO) block 156, aBluetooth radio 158, a Bluetooth baseband processor 160, and an FM andradio data system (RDS) and radio broadcast data system (RDBS) radio162. A first antenna or antenna system 166 a may be communicativelycoupled to the Bluetooth radio 158. A second antenna or antenna system166 b may be communicatively coupled to the FM and RDS/RBDS radio 162.

The processor and memory block 152 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, and/or code that may enable control, management, dataprocessing operations, and/or data storage operations, for example. ThePTU 154 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that mayenable interfacing the single chip 150 with external devices. The FMcontrol and 10 block 156 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/orcode that may enable control of at least a portion of the FM andRDS/RBDS radio 162. The Bluetooth radio 158 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, and/or code that may enable Bluetooth communications via thefirst antenna 166 a. The FM and RDS/RBDS radio 162 may comprise suitablelogic, circuitry, and/or code that may enable FM, RDS, and/or RBDS datacommunication via the second antenna 166 b. The Bluetooth basebandprocessor 160 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code thatmay enable processing of baseband data received from the Bluetooth radio158 or baseband data to be transmitted by the Bluetooth radio 158.

The PTU 154 may support a plurality of interfaces. For example, the PTU154 may support an external memory interface 164 a, a universalasynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) and/or enhanced serialperipheral interface (eSPI) interface 164 b, a general purposeinput/output (GPIO) and/or clocks interface 164 c, a pulse-codemodulation (PCM) and/or an inter-IC sound (I²S) interface 164 d, aninter-integrated circuit (I²C) bus interface 164 e, and/or an audiointerface 164 f.

FIG. 1G is a block diagram of an exemplary single chip with integratedBluetooth and FM radios that supports interfacing with a handsetbaseband device and a coexistent wireless LAN (WLAN) radio, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1G,there is shown a single chip 172, a handset baseband block 170, a bandpass filter 174, a first antenna or antenna system 178 a, a matchingcircuit 176, a second antenna or antenna filter 178 b, and a WLAN radio180. The single chip 172 may be substantially similar to the single chip150. In this instance, the single chip 172 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, and/or code that may enable coexistent operation with theWLAN radio 180 via the coexistence interface 186.

The single chip 172 may communicate Bluetooth data via the BPF 174 andthe first antenna 178 a. The single chip 172 may also communicate FMdata via the matching circuit 176 and the second antenna 178 b. Thesingle chip 172 may coordinate Bluetooth data communication in thepresence of WLAN channels by communicating with the WLAN radio 180 viathe coexistence interface 186.

The single chip 172 may transfer data to the handset baseband block 170via at least one interface, such as a PCM/I2S interface 182 a, aUART/eSPI interface 182 b, a I²C interface 182 c, and/or and analogaudio interface 182 d. The single chip 172 and the handset basebandblock 170 may also communicate via at least one control signal. Forexample, the handset baseband block 170 may generate a clock signal,ref_clock, 184 a, a wake signal, host_wake 184 c, and/or a reset signal184 f that may be transferred to the single chip 172. Similarly, thesingle chip 172 may generate a clock request signal, clock_req, 184 b, aBluetooth wake signal, BT_wake, 184 d, and/or an FM interrupt requestsignal, FM IRQ, 184 e that may be transferred to the handset basebandblock 170. The handset baseband block 170 may comprise suitable logic,circuitry, and/or code that may enable processing of at least a portionof the data received from the single chip 172 and/or data to betransferred to the single chip 172. In this regard, the handset basebandblock 170 may transfer data to the single chip 172 via at least oneinterface.

FIG. 2A is a block diagram of an exemplary single chip that supportsBluetooth and FM operations with an external FM transmitter, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2A,there is shown a single chip 200 that may comprise a processor system202, a peripheral transport unit (PTU) 204, a Bluetooth core 206, afrequency modulation (FM) core 208, and a common bus 201. An FMtransmitter 226 may be an external device to the single chip 200 and maybe communicatively coupled to the single chip 200 via the FM core 208,for example. The FM transmitter 226 may be a separate integrated circuit(IC), for example.

The processor system 202 may comprise a central processing unit (CPU)210, a memory 212, a direct memory access (DMA) controller 214, a powermanagement unit (PMU) 216, and an audio processing unit (APU) 218. TheAPU 218 may comprise a subband coding (SBC) codec 220. At least aportion of the components of the processor system 202 may becommunicatively coupled via the common bus 201.

The CPU 210 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that mayenable control and/or management operations in the single chip 200. Inthis regard, the CPU 210 may communicate control and/or managementoperations to the Bluetooth core 206, the FM core 208, and/or the PTU204 via a set of register locations specified in a memory map. Moreover,the CPU 210 may be utilized to process data received by the single chip200 and/or to process data to be transmitted by the single chip 200. TheCPU 210 may enable processing of data received via the Bluetooth core206, via the FM core 208, and/or via the PTU 204. For example, the CPU210 may enable processing of A2DP data and may then transfer theprocessed A2DP data to other components of the single chip 200 via thecommon bus 201. In this regard, the CPU may utilize the SBC codec 220 inthe APU 218 to encode and/or decode A2DP data, for example. The CPU 210may enable processing of data to be transmitted via Bluetooth core 206,via the FM core 208, and/or via the PTU 204. The CPU 210 may be, forexample, an ARM processor or another embedded processor core that may beutilized in the implementation of system-on-chip (SOC) architectures.

The CPU 210 may time multiplex Bluetooth data processing operations andFM data processing operations. In this regard, the CPU 210 may performeach operation by utilizing a native clock, that is, Bluetooth dataprocessing based on a Bluetooth clock and FM data processing based on anFM clock. The Bluetooth clock and the FM clock may be distinct and maynot interact. The CPU 210 may gate the FM clock and the Bluetooth clockand may select the appropriate clock in accordance with the timemultiplexing scheduling or arrangement. When he CPU 210 switches betweenBluetooth operations and FM operations, at least certain statesassociated with the Bluetooth operations or with the FM operations maybe retained until the CPU 210 switches back.

For example, in the case where the Bluetooth function is not active andis not expected to be active for some time, the CPU 210 may run on aclock derived from the FM core 208. This may eliminate the need to bringin a separate high-speed clock when one is already available in the FMcore 208. In the case where the Bluetooth core 206 may be active, forexample when the Bluetooth is in a power-saving mode that requires it tobe active periodically, the processor may chose to use a clock derivedseparately from the FM core 208. The clock may be derived directly froma crystal or oscillator input to the Bluetooth core 206, or from a phaselocked loop (PLL) in the Bluetooth core 206. While this clocking schememay provide certain flexibility in the processing operations performedby the CPU 210 in the single chip 200, other clocking schemes may alsobe implemented.

The CPU 210 may also enable configuration of data routes to and/or fromthe FM core 208. For example, the CPU 210 may configure the FM core 208so that data may be routed via an I²S interface or a PCM interface inthe PTU 204 to the analog ports communicatively coupled to the PTU 204.

The CPU 210 may enable tuning, such as flexible tuning, and/or searchingoperations in Bluetooth and/or FM communication by controlling at leasta portion of the Bluetooth core 206 and/or the FM core 208. For example,the CPU 210 may generate at least one signal that tunes the FM core 208to a certain frequency to determine whether there is a station at thatfrequency. When a station is found, the CPU 210 may configure a path forthe audio signal to be processed in the single chip 200. When a stationis not found, the CPU 210 may generate at least one additional signalthat tunes the FM core 208 to a different frequency to determine whethera station may be found at the new frequency.

Searching algorithms may enable the FM core 208 to scan up or down infrequency from a presently tuned channel and stop on the next channelwith received signal strength indicator (RSSI) above a threshold. Thesearch algorithm may be able to distinguish image channels. The choiceof the IF frequency during search is such that an image channel may havea nominal frequency error of 50 kHz, which may be used to distinguishthe image channel from the “on” channel. The search algorithm may alsobe able to determine if a high side or a low side injection providesbetter receive performance, thereby allowing for a signal quality metricto be developed for this purpose. One possibility to be investigated ismonitoring the high frequency RSSI relative to the total RSSI. The IFmay be chosen so that with the timing accuracy that a receiver may beenabled to provide, the image channels may comprise a frequency errorthat is sufficiently large to differentiate the image channels from theon channel.

The CPU 210 may enable a host controller interface (HCI) in Bluetooth.In this regard, the HCI provides a command interface to the basebandcontroller and link manager, and access to hardware status and controlregisters. The HCI may provide a method of accessing the Bluetoothbaseband capabilities that may be supported by the CPU 210.

The memory 212 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code thatmay enable data storage. In this regard, the memory 212 may be utilizedto store data that may be utilized by the processor system 202 tocontrol and/or manage the operations of the single chip 200. The memory212 may also be utilized to store data received by the single chip 200via the PTU 204 and/or via the FM core 208. Similarly, the memory 212may be utilized to store data to be transmitted by the single chip 200via the PTU 204 and/or via the FM core 208. The DMA controller 214 maycomprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may enable transferof data directly to and from the memory 212 via the common bus 201without involving the operations of the CPU 210.

The PTU 204 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that mayenable communication to and from the single chip 200 via a plurality ofcommunication interfaces. In some instances, the PTU 204 may beimplemented outside the single chip 200, for example. The PTU 204 maysupport analog and/or digital communication with at least one port. Forexample, the PTU 204 may support at least one universal series bus (USB)interface that may be utilized for Bluetooth data communication, atleast one secure digital input/output (SDIO) interface that may also beutilized for Bluetooth data communication, at least one universalasynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) interface that may also beutilized for Bluetooth data communication, and at least one I²C businterface that may be utilized for FM control and/or FM and RDS/RBDSdata communication. The PTU 204 may also support at least one PCMinterface that may be utilized for Bluetooth data communication and/orFM data communication, for example.

The PTU 204 may also support at least one inter-IC sound (I²S)interface, for example. The I²S interface may be utilized to send highfidelity FM digital signals to the CPU 210 for processing, for example.In this regard, the I²S interface in the PTU 204 may receive data fromthe FM core 208 via a bus 203, for example. Moreover, the I²S interfacemay be utilized to transfer high fidelity audio in Bluetooth. Forexample, in the A2DP specification there is support for wideband speechthat utilizes 16 kHz of audio. In this regard, the I²S interface may beutilized for Bluetooth high fidelity data communication and/or FM highfidelity data communication. The I²S interface may be a bidirectionalinterface and may be utilized to support bidirectional communicationbetween the PTU 204 and the FM core 208 via the bus 203. The I²Sinterface may be utilized to send and receive FM data from externaldevices such as coder/decoders (CODECs) and/or other devices that mayfurther process the I²S data for transmission, such as localtransmission to speakers and/or headsets and/or remote transmission overa cellular network, for example. In some instances, the I²S interfacemay operate based on a clock that may have a similar rate but bedifferent from a clock utilized by the processor system 202, forexample. The single chip 200 may comprise circuitry that may be utilizedto account for any jitter that may arise from the use of separateclocks, for example.

The Bluetooth core 206 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/orcode that may enable reception and/or transmission of Bluetooth data.The Bluetooth core 206 may comprise a Bluetooth transceiver 229 that mayperform reception and/or transmission of Bluetooth data. In this regard,the Bluetooth core 206 may support amplification, filtering, modulation,and/or demodulation operations, for example. The Bluetooth core 206 mayenable data to be transferred from and/or to the processor system 202,the PTU 204, and/or the FM core 208 via the common bus 201, for example.

The FM core 208 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code thatmay enable reception and/or transmission of FM data. The FM core 208 maycomprise an FM receiver 222 and a local oscillator (LO) 227. The FMreceiver 222 may comprise an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter 224. TheFM receiver 222 may support amplification, filtering, and/ordemodulation operations, for example. The LO 227 may be utilized togenerate a reference signal that may be utilized by the FM core 208 forperforming analog and/or digital operations. The FM core 206 may enabledata to be transferred from and/or to the processor system 202, the PTU204, and/or the Bluetooth core 206 via the common bus 201, for example.Moreover, the FM core 208 may receive analog FM data via the FM receiver222. The A/D converter 224 in the FM receiver 222 may be utilized toconvert the analog FM data to digital FM data to enable processing bythe FM core 208. The FM core 208 may also enable the transfer of digitalFM data to the FM transmitter 226. The FM transmitter 226 may comprise adigital-to-analog (D/A) converter 228 that may be utilized to convertdigital FM data to analog FM data to enable transmission by the FMtransmitter 226. Data received by the FM core 208 may be routed out ofthe FM core 208 in digital format via the common bus 201 and/or inanalog format via the bus 203 to the I²S interface in the PTU 204, forexample.

The FM core 208 may enable radio transmission and/or reception atvarious frequencies, such as, 400 MHz, 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz and/or 5.8 GHz,for example. The FM core 208 may also support operations at the standardFM band comprising a range of about 76 MHz to 108 MHz, for example.

The FM core 208 may also enable reception of RDS data and/or RBDS datafor in-vehicle radio receivers. In this regard, the FM core 208 mayenable filtering, amplification, and/or demodulation of the receivedRDS/RBDS data. The RDS/RBDS data may comprise, for example, a trafficmessage channel (TMC) that provides traffic information that may becommunicated and/or displayed to an in-vehicle user.

Digital circuitry within the FM core 208 may be operated based on aclock signal generated by dividing down a signal generated by the LO227. The LO 227 may be programmable in accordance with the variouschannels that may be received by the FM core 208 and the divide ratiomay be varied in order to maintain the digital clock signal close to anominal value.

The RDS/RBDS data may be buffered in the memory 212 in the processorsystem 202. The RDS/RBDS data may be transferred from the memory 212 viathe I²C interface when the CPU 210 is in a sleep or stand-by mode. Forexample, the FM core 208 may post RDS data into a buffer in the memory212 until a certain level is reached and an interrupt is generated towake up the CPU 210 to process the RDS/RBDS data. When the CPU 210 isnot in a sleep mode, the RDS data may be transferred to the memory 212via the common bus 201, for example.

Moreover, the RDS/RBDS data received via the FM core 208 may betransferred to any of the ports communicatively coupled to the PTU 204via the HCI scheme supported by the single chip 200, for example. TheRDS/RBDS data may also be transferred to the Bluetooth core 206 forcommunication to Bluetooth-enabled devices.

In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the single chip 200 mayreceive FM audio data via the FM core 208 and may transfer the receiveddata to the Bluetooth core 206 via the common bus 201. The Bluetoothcore 206 may transfer the data to the processor system 202 to beprocessed. In this regard, the SBC codec 220 in the APU 218 may performSBC coding or other A2DP compliant audio coding for transportation ofthe FM data over a Bluetooth A2DP link. The processor system 202 mayalso enable performing continuous variable slope delta (CVSD)modulation, log pulse code modulation (Log PCM), and/or other Bluetoothcompliant voice coding for transportation of FM data on Bluetoothsynchronous connection-oriented (SCO) or extended SCO (eSCO) links. TheBluetooth-encoded FM audio data may be transferred to the Bluetooth core206, from which it may be communicated to another device that supportsthe Bluetooth protocol. The CPU 210 may be utilized to control and/ormanage the various data transfers and/or data processing operations inthe single chip 200 to support the transmission of FM audio data via theBluetooth protocol.

Moreover, when Bluetooth data is received, such as A2DP, SCO, eSCO,and/or MP3, for example, the Bluetooth core 206 may transfer thereceived data to the processor system 202 via the common bus 201. At theprocessor system 202, the SBC codec 220 may decode the Bluetooth dataand may transfer the decoded data to the FM core 208 via the common bus201. The FM core 208 may transfer the data to the FM transmitter 226 forcommunication to an FM receiver in another device.

In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the single chip 200may operate in a plurality of modes. For example, the single chip 200may operate in one of an FM-only mode, a Bluetooth-only mode, and anFM-Bluetooth mode. For the FM-only mode, the single chip 200 may operatewith a lower power active state than in the Bluetooth-only mode or theFM-Bluetooth mode because FM operation in certain devices may have alimited source of power. In this regard, during the FM-only mode, atleast a portion of the operation of the Bluetooth core 206 may bedisabled to reduce the amount of power used by the single chip 200.Moreover, at least a portion of the processor system 202, such as theCPU 210, for example, may operate based on a divided down clock from aphase locked-loop (PLL) in the FM core 208. In this regard, the PLL inthe FM core 208 may utilize the LO 227, for example.

Moreover, because the code necessary to perform certain FM operations,such as tuning and/or searching, for example, may only require theexecution of a few instructions in between time intervals of, forexample, 10 ms, the CPU 210 may be placed on a stand-by or sleep mode toreduce power consumption until the next set of instructions is to beexecuted. In this regard, each set of instructions in the FM operationscode may be referred to as a fragment, atomic sequence, or granule. Thefragments may be selected or partitioned in a very structured manner tooptimize the power consumption of the single chip 200 during FM-onlymode operation. In some instances, fragmentation may also be implementedin the FM-Bluetooth mode to enable the CPU 210 to provide moreprocessing power to Bluetooth operations when the FM core 208 iscarrying out tuning and/or searching operations, for example.

The single chip 200 may provide an FM processing framework that enablesfragmentation of break up the FM operations or functions into granules.The FM processing framework may also give priority to Bluetooth dataprocessing operations in the processor system 202 as Bluetoothoperations or functions may generally require real time processing.Giving Bluetooth processing priority may also minimize the likelihood ofcompromising the Bluetooth link. For example, a user who may belistening to FM and also receiving Bluetooth audio data inBluetooth-enabled headset may require that priority be given toservicing the headset over FM functions in order to avoid having theBluetooth connection between the headset and a handheld devicedisconnected.

The single chip 200 may be generally operated in a low power operation(LPO) mode to minimize the use of power when integrated into electronicportable devices or wireless devices. In the LPO mode, the processorsystem 202 in the single chip 200 may operate based on a low power clockrunning at, for example, 32 kHz. The low power clock may be internal tothe single chip 200 or may be provided by an external source to thesingle chip 200. In this regard, the single chip 200 may manage powerconsumption by utilizing the FM processing framework, for example. Thesingle chip 200 may remain in the LPO mode until an interrupt requestsignal is received. The interrupt signal may be an FM interrupt, aBluetooth interrupt, or both an FM and a Bluetooth interrupt, forexample. When an interrupt signal is received, the processor system 202may wake up from the LPO mode and may transition to either a Bluetoothprocessing mode or a FM processing mode in accordance with the interruptreceived. In this regard, Bluetooth processing may be given priority asprovided by the FM processing framework when both an FM and a Bluetoothinterrupt signals are received.

The single chip 200 may receive a Bluetooth clock signal from, forexample, a high-speed oscillator or crystal. The Bluetooth clock signalneed not be fed to the single chip 200 at all times. In some instances,the high-speed oscillator or crystal may be powered down to reduce powerconsumption, for example. When the high-speed oscillator or crystal ispowered back up, a settling time may be needed to stabilize thereference signal. The Bluetooth core 206 may utilize the Bluetooth clocksignal for its operations, for example. The single chip 200 may alsoreceive an FM clock signal. The source of the FM clock signal need notbe powered down to save power. The FM core 208 may utilize the FM clocksignal, for example. When the processor system 202 wakes up from the LPOmode as a result of an interrupt signal being asserted, firmwareoperating on the processor system 202 may determine whether the FM core208 and/or the Bluetooth core 206 has generated the interrupt and mayproceed with data processing operations based on the appropriate clocksource. The firmware may utilize stored data to resume, for example, FMprocessing of granules when the processor system 202 is woken up by anFM interrupt signal. In this regard, the firmware may feed the storeddata into an appropriate state in an FM data processing state machine inorder to resume FM data processing.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, whenever the interruptsignal is a Bluetooth interrupt signal, the processor system 202 mayperform Bluetooth data processing operations. When the data processingis complete, the processor system 202 may return to the LPO mode or mayproceed with FM data processing if an FM interrupt signal occurredduring the Bluetooth data processing. In another embodiment of theinvention, whenever the interrupt signal is an FM interrupt signal, theprocessor system 202 may perform FM data processing operations byprocessing FM granules. An upcoming Bluetooth data processing event maytake priority over the current FM data processing and may be signaled bythe warming up of an external crystal that may be utilized as theBluetooth clock source. The external crystal may require a settlingtime, and the occurrence of this settling time may be utilized by theprocessor system 202 to determine a number of FM granules that may beprocessed before the upcoming Bluetooth data processing event is to begiven priority. After Bluetooth or FM data processing is complete and noupcoming processing is scheduled to occur, the processor system 202 mayreturn to the LPO mode of operation to reduce power consumption.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram of an exemplary single chip that supportsBluetooth and FM operations with an integrated FM transmitter, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 2B,there is shown the single chip 200 as described in FIG. 2A with the FMtransmitter 226 integrated into the FM core 208. In this regard, the FMcore 208 may support FM reception and/or transmission of FM data. The FMtransmitter 226 may utilize signals generated based on the referencesignal generated by the LO 227. The FM core 208 may enable transmissionof data received via the PTU 204 and/or the Bluetooth core 206, forexample. The exemplary implementation of the single chip 200 asdescribed in FIG. 2B may support FM reception and/or transmission andBluetooth reception and/or transmission.

FIG. 2C is a flow diagram that illustrates exemplary steps forprocessing received data in a single chip with integrated Bluetooth andFM radios, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referringto FIGS. 2A and 2C, in step 232, after start step 230, the FM core 208or the Bluetooth core 206 may receive data. For example, the FM core 208may receive FM data via the FM receiver 222 and the Bluetooth core 206may receive Bluetooth data via the Bluetooth transceiver 229. In step234, the received data may be transferred to the processor system 202via the common bus 201 for processing. The received data may betransferred to the memory 212 by the DMA controller 214, for example. Insome instances, the processor system 202 may then transfer the data tothe PTU 204, for example. The received data may be transferred to theprocessing system 202 in accordance with the time multiplexing scheduleor arrangement provided by the processing system 202. In step 236, theprocessor system 202 may time multiplex the processing of FM data andthe processing of Bluetooth data. For example, when Bluetooth data isbeing processed, FM data may not be transferred to the processing system202 or may be transferred and stored in the memory 212 until FMprocessing is enabled. When the processing system 202 has completedprocessing the Bluetooth data, the FM data may be transferred to theprocessing system 202 for FM processing. Similarly, when FM data isbeing processed, Bluetooth data may not be transferred to the processingsystem 202 or may be transferred and stored in the memory 212 untilBluetooth processing is enabled. When the processing system 202 hascompleted processing the FM data, the Bluetooth data may be transferredto the processing system 202 for Bluetooth processing. After step 236,the process may proceed to end step 238.

FIG. 2D is a flow diagram that illustrates exemplary steps forprocessing FM data via the Bluetooth core in a single chip withintegrated Bluetooth and FM radios, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention. Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2D, after start step 250, instep 252, the FM core 208 may receive FM data via the FM receiver 222.In step 254, the FM core 208 may transfer the FM data to the Bluetoothcore 206 via the common bus 201. In step 256, the Bluetooth core 206 maytransfer the FM data received from the FM core 208 to the processorsystem 202 via the common bus 201. In step 258, the processor system 202may perform Bluetooth processing operations, such as encoding forexample, to the FM data received from the Bluetooth core 206. In step260, the Bluetooth core 206 may receive the processed FM data. In step262, the Bluetooth core 206 may transfer the processed FM data to atleast one Bluetooth-enable device via the Bluetooth transceiver 229.

An illustrative instance where the exemplary steps described in FIG. 2Dmay occur is when a handset is enabled to receive FM data and thehandset may be enabled to operate with a Bluetooth headset. In thisregard, the handset may receive the FM audio signal via the FM core 208and may process the received signal for transfer to the headset via theBluetooth core 206.

FIG. 2E is a flow diagram that illustrates exemplary steps forconfiguring a single chip with integrated Bluetooth and FM radios basedon the mode of operation, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. Referring to FIG. 2E, after start step 270, in step 272, whena single chip with integrated Bluetooth and FM radios operates in anFM-only mode, the process may proceed to step 284. In step 284, the FMcore 208 may be configured for operation and at least portions of theBluetooth core 206 may be disabled. In step 286, FM data received and/orFM data to be transmitted may be processed in the processor system 202without need for time multiplexing.

Returning to step 272, when the single chip is not operating in theFM-only mode, the process may proceed to step 274. In step 274, when thesingle chip is operating in the Bluetooth-only mode, the process mayproceed to step 280. In step 280, the Bluetooth core 206 may beconfigured for operation and at least portions of the FM core 208 may bedisabled. In step 282, Bluetooth data received and/or Bluetooth data tobe transmitted may be processed in the processor system 202 without needfor time multiplexing.

Returning to step 274, when the single chip is not operating in theBluetooth-only mode, the process may proceed to step 276. In step 276,the Bluetooth core 206 and the FM core 208 may be configured foroperation. In step 278, Bluetooth data and/or FM data may be processedin the processor system 202 in accordance with time multiplexingschedule or arrangement.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary FM core and PTU for processingRDS and digital audio data, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a more detailed portionof the single chip 200 described in FIGS. 2A-2B. The portion of thesingle chip 200 shown in FIG. 3 comprises the FM core 208, the memory212, the CPU 210, and the common bus 201. Also shown are portions of thePTU 204 comprising an interface multiplexer 310, a universal peripheralinterface (UPI) 304, a bus master interface 302, a digital audiointerface controller 306, an I²S interface block 308, and an I²Cinterface block 312. The FM core 208 may comprise a rate adaptor 314, abuffer 316, an RDS/RBDS decoder 318, and a control registers block 322.Narrowly spaced hashed arrows as illustrated by the flow arrow 332 showthe flow of digital audio data. Broadly spaced hashed arrows asillustrated by the flow arrow 334 show the flow of RDS/RBDS data. Clearor blank arrows, as illustrated by the dual flow arrow 336, show theflow of control data.

The rate adaptor 314 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or codethat may enable controlling the rate of the FM data received by the FMcore 208. The rate adaptor 314 may adapt the output sampling rate of theaudio paths to the sampling clock of the host device or the rate of aremote device when a digital audio interface is used to transport the FMdata. An initial rough estimate of the adaptation fractional change maybe made and the estimate may then refined by monitoring the ratio ofreading and writing rates and/or by monitoring the level of the audiosamples in the output buffer. The rate may be adjusted in a feedbackmanner such that the level of the output buffer is maintained. The rateadaptor 314 may receive a strobe or pull signal from the digital audiointerface controller 306, for example. Audio FM data from the rateadaptor 314 may be transferred to the buffer 316.

The buffer 316 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code thatmay enable storage of digital audio data. The buffer 316 may receive astrobe or pull signal from the digital audio interface controller 306,for example. The buffer 316 may transfer digital audio data to thedigital audio interface controller 306. The digital audio interfacecontroller 306 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code thatmay enable the transfer of digital audio data to the bus masterinterface 302 and/or the I²S interface block 308. The I²S interface 308may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may enabletransfer of the digital audio data to at least one devicecommunicatively coupled to the single chip. The I²S interface 308 maycommunicate control data with the bus master interface 302.

The RDS/RBDS decoder 318 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/orcode that may enable processing of RDS/RBDS data received by the FM core208. The output of the RDS/RBDS decoder 318 may be transferred to theinterface multiplexer 310. The interface multiplexer 310 may comprisesuitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may enable the transfer ofRDS/RBDS data to the UPI 304 and/or the I²C interface block 312. In thisregard, the UPI 304 may generate a signal that indicates to theinterface multiplexer 310 the interface to select. The I²C interface 312may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may enabletransfer of the RDS/RBDS data to at least one device communicativelycoupled to the single chip. The I²C interface 312 may also communicatecontrol data between external devices to the single chip and theinterface multiplexer 310. In this regard, the interface multiplexer 310may communicate control data between the I²C interface 312, the UPI 304,and/or the control registers block 322 in the FM core 208. The controlregisters block 322 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or codethat may enable the storage of register information that may be utilizedto control and/or configure the operation of at least portions of the FMcore 208.

The UPI 304 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that mayenable the transfer of digital audio data to the bus master interface302 from the interface multiplexer 310. The UPI 304 may also enable thecommunication of control data between the bus master interface 302 andthe interface multiplexer 310. The bus master interface 302 may comprisesuitable logic, circuitry, and/or code that may enable communication ofcontrol data, digital audio data, and/or RDS/RBDS data between theportions of the PTU 204 shown in FIG. 3 and the common bus 201. The busmaster interface 302 may transfer digital audio data and/or RDS/RBDSdata to the common bus 201. The RDS/RBDS data may be transferred to thememory 212, for example. In some instances, the RDS/RBDS data may betransferred to the memory 212 when the CPU 210 is in a stand-by or sleepmode. The bus master interface 302 may push RDS/RBDS data into a bufferin the memory 212 or may pull RDS/RBDS data from a buffer in the memory212, for example. The digital audio data may be transferred to the CPU210 for processing, for example. The CPU 210 may generate and/or receivecontrol data that may be communicated with the PTU 204 and/or the FMcore 208 via the common bus 201.

In one embodiment of the invention, the single chip with integrated FMand Bluetooth radios may implement a search algorithm that collects andstores data during scanning of the FM band. The single chip maydetermine whether there is music or speech in a detected channel.Moreover, the single chip may enable searching and finding 10 of thestrongest stations, for example, and may rank them.

In another embodiment of the invention, the single chip with integratedFM and Bluetooth radios may implement a search algorithm where thesearches may be done based on specific criteria such as type of stationor type of music, for example. The single chip may characterize each ofthe stations found based on the search.

In another embodiment of the invention, the single chip with integratedFM and Bluetooth radios may enable turning OFF a voltage regulator tothe FM radio when in BT-only mode or turning OFF voltage regulators tothe Bluetooth radio and the FM radio when both Bluetooth and FM are notbeing used, for example. In another embodiment of the invention, thesingle chip with integrated FM and Bluetooth radios may enable extendingthe battery life in a handheld device by requiring that the single chipdoes not consume power until configured by the host. Moreover, there maynot be a load on the system until the chip is powered down and/or thechip may not draw any current when powered down.

In another embodiment of the invention, the single chip with integratedFM and Bluetooth radios may enable a digital filter that may combinede-emphasis, bass, and/or treble. The digital filter may have aprogrammable audio bandwidth, for example. In another embodiment of theinvention, the single chip with integrated FM and Bluetooth radios mayenable a power amplifier dynamical bypass for Class 1 systems. Inanother embodiment of the invention, the single chip with integrated FMand Bluetooth radios may enable an antenna with an adjustable centerfrequency.

In another embodiment of the invention, the single chip with integratedFM and Bluetooth radios may enable Bluetooth coexistence with WLAN. Inthis regard, coexistence may be supported when radiation of energy isnot greater than a certain threshold. In some cases, such threshold maybe −90 dBm, for example. The coexistence may be implemented to minimizethe amount of energy that flows from the Bluetooth radio to the WLANradio, for example. In this regard, the single chip may utilize aguilty-by-association technique in order to identify WLAN interferingchannels in the vicinity of a Bluetooth device. Because WLAN channelsmay deteriorate very rapidly in the presence of Bluetooth communication,the guilty-by-association technique may enable a fast determination oridentification of which adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) channels toblock in order to limit the effect of Bluetooth communication on WLANchannels. Channel measurement statistics may be collected in ‘bins’ of NMHz each where N=2,3,4, etc and condemn the entire bin as bad if any Kof the channels in the bin was measured as bad. An example may be whenK=1. Condemnation of the entire bin as bad, that is,guilty-by-association, may increase both the reliability as well asspeed with a WLAN channels of contiguous 20-22 MHz that may be blockedout in the AFH channel map. The use of techniques that modify the AFHchannel map need not be limited to instances when a Bluetooth radio andan FM radio are integrated into a single chip. Modification of the AFHchannel map may be applied to instances when Bluetooth applications arein coexistent operation with WLAN applications.

The WLAN interfering channels may be detected by utilizing channelmeasurement statistics such as received signal strength indicator (RSSI)energy measurements and/or packet error rate (PER) measurements. PERmeasurements may include missing a packet due to synchronization errors,cyclic redundancy check (CRC) errors in decoding the header, and/or CRCerrors in decoding the payload, for example. These measurements may beperformed during the Bluetooth frame duration (1.25 ms) on the currentBluetooth channel or on channels different from the current Bluetoothchannel.

In another embodiment of the invention, the single chip with integratedFM and Bluetooth radios may enable a low noise FM phase-locked loop(PLL) that may minimize the 32 KHz clock noise and/or the large phasenoise that may occur. In this regard, the FM PLL may utilize a narrowloop bandwidth, for example.

In another embodiment of the invention, the single chip with integratedFM and Bluetooth radios may disable at least a portion of the analogcircuitry in the FM radio and/or the Bluetooth radio when performingdigital processing. Disabling analog circuitry provides a reduction inthe amount of power consumed by the single chip.

In another embodiment of the invention, the single chip with integratedFM and Bluetooth radios may be enabled to support high definition (HD)radio systems. In HD radio systems, the broadcasters may utilize digitalsignals to transmit existing analog AM and FM signals. In this regard,the analog AM and FM signals may be transmitted simultaneously and theuse of digital channels may result in higher quality audio and a morerobust signal. In first generation HD radio systems, services such asMain Program Service or Station Reference Service may be provided. Otherservices that may be supported for HD radio in the single chip may berequests for audio presentation of news, weather, entertainment, and/orstocks, for example. Additional services may comprise navigationalproducts or applications, such as traffic information, for example,time-shifted listening, mobile commerce and advertisement,Internet-based broadcasts, and/or reading services for the visuallyimpaired.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram that illustrates exemplary steps for sharing aprocessor for Bluetooth and FM functions, in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 4, after start step 401,in step 402, the single chip 206 in FIGS. 2A-2B, for example, mayoperate in an LPO mode that may be utilized to provide a low power clocksignal, such as a 32 kHz signal, to the processor system 202, forexample. In this regard, circuitry within the single chip 200 may beutilized to prepare or enable the low power clock as a default clocksignal for the processor system 202. In step 404, the LPO mode may beactive and the CPU 210 may be in a standby or sleep mode. In step 406, awake up interrupt signal, such as a WAKE_IRQ, for example, may begenerated or asserted in order to indicate to the processor system 202that a change from the low power mode of operation to a processing modeof operation is to occur. For example, when the single chip 200 isoperating in an FM-only mode, an interrupt signal may indicate a changeto FM data processing. In another example, when the single chip 200 isoperating in a Bluetooth-only mode, an interrupt signal may indicate achange to Bluetooth data processing. When the single chip 200 isoperating in a Bluetooth-FM mode, an interrupt signal may indicateeither a change to Bluetooth data processing or to FM data processing,for example.

In step 408, for the Bluetooth-FM mode of operation of the single chip200, when the interrupt signal is a Bluetooth interrupt signal, theprocess may proceed to step 410. In step 410, the processor system 202may perform Bluetooth data processing operations that may include directmemory transfers of data to and from the memory 212, for example. Theprocessor system 202 may perform the Bluetooth data processing inaccordance with the timing provided by the Bluetooth clock, for example.When the Bluetooth data processing is complete, the process may proceedto step 412. In step 412, the processor system 202 may determine whetheran FM interrupt signal has been received. If an FM interrupt signal hasnot been received, the process may proceed to step 402 and the processorsystem 202 may return to the LPO mode to reduce power consumption. If anFM interrupt signal has been received, the process may proceed to step414 where a next granule or portion of the FM data processing functionsmay be performed by the processor system 202.

Returning to step 408, when the interrupt signal is not a Bluetoothinterrupt signal, the process may proceed to step 428. In step 428, whenthe interrupt signal is not an FM interrupt signal, the process mayreturn to step 404 and the processor system 202 may operate in the LPOmode. When the interrupt signal is an FM interrupt signal, the processmay proceed to step 430. In step 430, the processor system 202 mayenable the notification of a crystal (XTAL) warm-up interrupt signal.Enabling the XTAL warm-up interrupt signal may allow the processorsystem 202 to receive a notification that the crystal that is utilizedto generate the Bluetooth clock signal is being powered ON. In thisregard, receiving the XTAL warm-up interrupt signal indicates the timewhen an upcoming Bluetooth data processing event is to occur and theprocessor system 202 may utilize such notification to temporarilypostpone scheduling of the processing of FM granules.

In step 414, the processor system 202 may process FM granules inaccordance with the FM processing framework, that is, the various FMdata processing functions may be implemented in granules or fragmentsthat may be performed individually and in a specified sequence. In thisregard, firmware in the processor system 202 may be utilized to maintainstates and/or data associated with the processing of the FM granules.

In step 416, the processor system 202 may determine whether the XTALwarm-up interrupt signal has been received. When the XTAL warm-upinterrupt signal has not been received, the process may proceed to step426. In step 426, the processor system 202 may determine whether the FMgranule or the entire FM data processing is complete. When the furtherFM data processing is necessary, the process may proceed to step 414.When FM data processing is complete, the process may proceed to step420.

Returning to step 416, when the XTAL warm-up interrupt signal has beenreceived, the process in the flow chart 400 may proceed to step 418. Instep 418, the processor system 202 may complete FM granule processingbefore the expected Bluetooth data processing event occurs and thefirmware may store the FM state at the time the processing wascompleted, and may also start an FM sleep timer that may be utilized bythe state machine upon the next time the FM interrupt signal occurs.After step 418, in step 420, the processor system 202 may determinewhether the BT clock is currently being used as a reference.

In instances where the BT clock is being used as a reference by theprocessor system 202, the process may proceed to step 422 where theprocessor system 202 may prepare for the next FM interrupt signal. Afterstep 422, the process may return to step 402. Returning to step 420,when the BT clock is not being used as a reference by the processorsystem 202, the process may proceed to step 424 where the FM state datamay be stored and the processor system 202 may prepare for the next FMinterrupt signal. After step 424, the process may return to step 404.

FIG. 5 is a diagram that illustrates the warm-up time of a Bluetoothcrystal oscillator when enabling sharing of a processor for Bluetoothand FM functions, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a first time instance 500 that maycorrespond to the start of the processing of an FM granule. There may bea minimum time, ΔT_(FM granule), that may be required to process atleast one FM granule before the occurrence of a Bluetooth XTAL warm-upinterrupt signal at time instance 502. In this regard, the operation ofenabling the notification of an XTAL warm-up interrupt signal mayprovide the processor system 202 with sufficient time to allow for theprocessing of at least one FM granule before a next XTAL warm-upinterrupt signal occurs. The time ΔT_(W), corresponds to thestabilization time that may be needed between powering ON the crystaland the start of the Bluetooth data processing at time instance 504. Thetime ΔT_(FM max), represents the maximum amount of time that firmwaremay continue to process FM granules prior to the occurrence of thebeginning of the stabilization period for the Bluetooth referencecrystal.

Certain embodiments of the invention may correspond to a method that maycomprise operating an on-chip processor, such as the CPU 210 in FIGS.2A-2B for example, in a single chip, such as the single chip 200 forexample, that comprises an integrated Bluetooth radio, such as theBluetooth core 206 for example, and an integrated FM radio, such as theFM core 208 for example, in a low power mode based on a clock signalgenerated from a low power oscillator. An interrupt signal may bereceived in the on-chip processor to enable Bluetooth data processing orFM data processing. The Bluetooth data processing in the on-chipprocessor may be based on a Bluetooth clock signal and the FM dataprocessing in the on-chip processor may be based on an FM clock signal.A Bluetooth interrupt signal may be received to enable the Bluetoothdata processing in the on-chip processor. The on-chip processor mayreturn to the low power mode after the Bluetooth data processing iscomplete.

An FM interrupt signal may be received to enable the FM data processingin the on-chip processor. The on-chip processor may process at least aportion of FM data received. The on-chip processor may receive a crystalwarm-up interrupt signal. The on-chip processor may store FM state datain, for example, the memory 212, after receiving the crystal warm-upinterrupt signal. The on-chip processor may return to the low power modeafter the FM state data is stored.

Another embodiment of the invention may provide a machine-readablestorage, having stored thereon, a computer program having at least onecode section executable by a machine, thereby causing the machine toperform the steps as described above for sharing a Bluetooth processorfor FM functions.

Aspects of certain embodiments of the invention may correspond to asystem that may comprise a single chip, such as the single chip 200 forexample, that comprises an on-chip integrated FM radio, such as the FMcore 208 for example, an on-chip integrated Bluetooth radio, such as theBluetooth core 206 for example, and a single on-chip processor, such asthe CPU 210 for example, communicatively coupled to the integrated FMradio and the integrated Bluetooth radio via a common bus, such as thecommon bus 201 for example. The single chip may comprise circuitry thatenables operating the on-chip processor in a low power mode based on aclock signal generated from a low power oscillator. The on-chipprocessor may comprise circuitry that enables receiving an interruptsignal that enables Bluetooth data processing or FM data processing. TheBluetooth data processing in the on-chip processor may be based on aBluetooth clock signal and the FM data processing in the on-chipprocessor may be based on an FM clock signal.

The on-chip processor may also comprise circuitry that enables receivinga Bluetooth interrupt signal to enable the Bluetooth data processing.When the Bluetooth data processing is complete, circuitry within thesingle chip may enable returning the on-chip processor to the low powermode.

The on-chip processor may also comprise circuitry that enables receivingan FM interrupt signal to enable said FM data processing. The on-chipprocessor may comprise circuitry that enables processing of at least aportion of FM data received by the on-chip processor. The on-chipprocessor may comprise circuitry that enables receiving a crystalwarm-up interrupt signal. Moreover, the on-chip processor may comprisecircuitry that enables storage of FM state data in, for example, thememory 212, after receiving the crystal warm-up interrupt signal. Thesingle chip may comprise circuitry that enables returning the on-chipprocessor to the low power mode after the FM state data is stored.

Accordingly, the present invention may be realized in hardware,software, or a combination of hardware and software. The presentinvention may be realized in a centralized fashion in at least onecomputer system, or in a distributed fashion where different elementsare spread across several interconnected computer systems. Any kind ofcomputer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methodsdescribed herein is suited. A typical combination of hardware andsoftware may be a general-purpose computer system with a computerprogram that, when being loaded and executed, controls the computersystem such that it carries out the methods described herein.

The present invention may also be embedded in a computer programproduct, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation ofthe methods described herein, and which when loaded in a computer systemis able to carry out these methods. Computer program in the presentcontext means any expression, in any language, code or notation, of aset of instructions intended to cause a system having an informationprocessing capability to perform a particular function either directlyor after either or both of the following: a) conversion to anotherlanguage, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different materialform.

While the present invention has been described with reference to certainembodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. In addition, manymodifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material tothe teachings of the present invention without departing from its scope.Therefore, it is intended that the present invention not be limited tothe particular embodiment disclosed, but that the present invention willinclude all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A method for providing wireless communication, the method comprising:operating an on-chip processor in a single chip comprising an integratedBluetooth radio and an integrated FM radio in a low power mode based ona clock signal generated from a low power oscillator; and receiving asignal in said on-chip processor to enable Bluetooth data processing orFM data processing, wherein said Bluetooth data processing in saidon-chip processor is based on a Bluetooth clock signal and said FM dataprocessing in said on-chip processor is based on an FM clock signal. 2.The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving aBluetooth signal to enable said Bluetooth data processing in saidon-chip processor.
 3. The method according to claim 2, furthercomprising returning said on-chip processor to said low power mode aftersaid Bluetooth data processing is complete.
 4. The method according toclaim 1, further comprising receiving an FM signal to enable said FMdata processing in said on-chip processor.
 5. The method according toclaim 4, further comprising processing at least a portion of FM datareceived by said on-chip processor.
 6. The method according to claim 4,further comprising receiving a crystal warm-up signal.
 7. The methodaccording to claim 6, further comprising storing FM state data afterreceiving said crystal warm-up signal.
 8. The method according to claim7, further comprising returning said on-chip processor to said low powermode after said FM state data is stored.
 9. A machine-readable storagehaving stored thereon, a computer program having at least one codesection for providing wireless communication, the at least one codesection being executable by a machine for causing the machine to performsteps comprising: operating an on-chip processor in a single chipcomprising an integrated Bluetooth radio and an integrated FM radio in alow power mode based on a clock signal generated from a low poweroscillator; and receiving a signal in said on-chip processor to enableBluetooth data processing or FM data processing, wherein said Bluetoothdata processing in said on-chip processor is based on a Bluetooth clocksignal and said FM data processing in said on-chip processor is based onan FM clock signal.
 10. The machine-readable storage according to claim9, further comprising code for receiving a Bluetooth signal to enablesaid Bluetooth data processing in said on-chip processor.
 11. Themachine-readable storage according to claim 10, further comprising codefor returning said on-chip processor to said low power mode after saidBluetooth data processing is complete.
 12. The machine-readable storageaccording to claim 9, further comprising code for receiving an FM signalto enable said FM data processing in said on-chip processor.
 13. Themachine-readable storage according to claim 12, further comprising codefor processing at least a portion of FM data received by said on-chipprocessor.
 14. The machine-readable storage according to claim 12,further comprising code for receiving a crystal warm-up signal.
 15. Themachine-readable storage according to claim 14, further comprising codefor storing FM state data after receiving said crystal warm-up signal.16. The machine-readable storage according to claim 15, furthercomprising code for returning said on-chip processor to said low powermode after said FM state data is stored.
 17. A system for providingwireless communication, the system comprising: a single chip comprisingan on-chip integrated FM radio, an on-chip integrated Bluetooth radio,and a single on-chip processor communicatively coupled to saidintegrated FM radio and said integrated Bluetooth radio; said singlechip comprises circuitry that enables operating said on-chip processorin a low power mode based on a clock signal generated from a low poweroscillator; and said on-chip processor comprises circuitry that enablesBluetooth data processing or FM data processing, wherein said Bluetoothdata processing in said on-chip processor is based on a Bluetooth clocksignal and said FM data processing in said on-chip processor is based onan FM clock signal.
 18. The system according to claim 17, wherein saidon-chip processor comprises circuitry that enables receiving a Bluetoothsignal to enable said Bluetooth data processing in said on-chipprocessor.
 19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said singlechip comprises circuitry that enables returning said on-chip processorto said low power mode after said Bluetooth data processing is complete.20. The system according to claim 17, wherein said on-chip processorcomprises circuitry that enables receiving an FM interrupt signal toenable said FM data processing in said on-chip processor.
 21. The systemaccording to claim 20, wherein said on-chip processor comprisescircuitry that enables processing of at least a portion of FM datareceived by said on-chip processor.
 22. The system according to claim20, wherein said on-chip processor comprises circuitry that enablesreceiving a crystal warm-up signal.
 23. The system according to claim22, wherein said on-chip processor comprises circuitry that enablesstorage of FM state data after receiving said crystal warm-up signal.24. The system according to claim 23, wherein said single chip comprisescircuitry that enables returning said on-chip processor to said lowpower mode after said FM state data is stored.